Joining fabric

Hi,
I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. Does anyone know how best to do this? The seam
will be right in the center.

"Fran" wrote ...
Hi,
I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. Does anyone know how best to do this? The seam
will be right in the center.

What sort of fabric ? and will the design cover all of the join ?
Would iron-on interfacing work ? I'm thinking that you could cut a strip of
the interfacing, and lay the fabric edge to edge on top of the 'adhesive'
side. Press as instructions.
Just a thought.
--
Regards..............P-f

Fran wrote:
Hi,
I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. Does anyone know how best to do this? The seam
will be right in the center.

I don't know a whole bunch about needlework, but in regular sewing, it
is usually best to not put one seam in the center but to take one width
of fabric right down the middle and then piece equal amounts of fabric
on each side.

On Mar 26, 1:02*pm, "Parrotfish" wrote:
"Fran" *wrote ...

Hi,
*I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. *Does anyone know how best to do this? *The seam
will be right in the center.

What sort of fabric ? and will the design cover all of the join ?
Would iron-on interfacing work ? I'm thinking that you could cut a strip of
the interfacing, and lay the fabric edge to edge on top of the 'adhesive'
side. Press as instructions.
Just a thought.
--
Regards..............P-f

I am working on pearl linen. Much of the design will cover the join
but not all. This is a 5 foot by 6 foot chuppah and the single seam
is much more palatable than 4 or more seams. Also, since the fabric
is not square (big surprise ??) there is no way to just abut the edges.

On Mar 26, 11:04*am, Samantha Hill - take out TRASH to reply
wrote:
Fran wrote:
Hi,
* I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. *Does anyone know how best to do this? *The seam
will be right in the center.

I don't know a whole bunch about needlework, but in regular sewing, it
is usually best to not put one seam in the center but to take one width
of fabric right down the middle and then piece equal amounts of fabric
on each side.

This is the way I've been advised to do it in needlepoint as well. I
believe it has to do with the structural strength of the piece, not
just aesthetics. But perhaps someone could comment on that.

I assume this is cross stitch you're working in? And that you've
already worked most of it? Would it be feasible to work the stitches
that would normally be background fabric in a thread color that
matches the background?
Dora

On Mar 27, 5:12*am, Fran wrote:
On Mar 26, 1:02*pm, "Parrotfish" wrote:

"Fran" *wrote ...

Hi,
*I am making a very large project and need to piece together two
pieces of fabric. *Does anyone know how best to do this? *The seam
will be right in the center.

What sort of fabric ? and will the design cover all of the join ?
Would iron-on interfacing work ? I'm thinking that you could cut a strip of
the interfacing, and lay the fabric edge to edge on top of the 'adhesive'
side. Press as instructions.
Just a thought.
--
Regards..............P-f

I am working on pearl linen. *Much of the design will cover the join
but not all. *This is a 5 foot by 6 foot chuppah and the single seam
is much more palatable than 4 or more seams. *Also, since the fabric
is not square (big surprise ??) there is no way to just abut the edges.

In SEAMGALLERY in Megadim , we had several years ago an exhibition
dedicated to Chupot. Are you joining the cloth self edge ? if so just
sit and hand stich it loke you would a knitted piece , a flat stich
with an embroidery perle thread same color as the cloth ..The part
that is not covered by the pattern i suggest that you embroider over
with same thread color , for strengthening the join.
if the join is made on a cut side and you have to make a seam and
`hide` the edges, that i advice you saw the edges flat with
invisiblestiches.

And Mazal Tov to the young couple , Is it for Lag Ba`Omer ?
mirjam

bungadora wrote:

This is the way I've been advised to do it in needlepoint as well. I
believe it has to do with the structural strength of the piece, not
just aesthetics.


And for added strength, you wouldn't just seam the canvas together, but
actually work a couple of rows of stitches through both layers.

How that's going to work with the pearl linen, I don't know, but it's
worth a "doodle cloth" to find out.


--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 3/22/08 - small peacock (insert for DMC chest)

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Bethany Angel, Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
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Fran wrote:
I am working on pearl linen. Much of the design will cover the join
but not all. This is a 5 foot by 6 foot chuppah and the single seam
is much more palatable than 4 or more seams. Also, since the fabric
is not square (big surprise ??) there is no way to just abut the edges.

Fran, what type of stitching are you doing on the pearl linen - cross
stitch, surface embroidery, crewel, pulled thread???? Will the face of
the stitching be seen from the underside, directly over the bride &
groom? I have only been to one wedding where a chuppa was used and from
what I remember that's the way the chuppa was stitched.
I ask because it makes a difference how the seaming is done. I am a
professional seamstress and the way Samantha describes *is* the proper
way to join two pieces of fabric. From what you have said, I assume
there are only two pieces of fabric to be joined. It must be *really*
wide linen to manage a 5 foot x 6 foot finished piece with just two
pieces! If it is just two pieces, then I agree with you about having
only one seam and I would put it as close to center as possible assuming
the bulk of the stitched design is located in the center of the chuppa.
If the bulk of the stitching is at the ends, then I would go with the
way Samantha described. For esthetic reasons, when three pieces are
stitched together, the center is usually the largest. for some reason,
this just looks better to the human brain! But with something like a
chuppa, I would probably have the pieces, however many there are, the
same size.
Regardless of where you put the seams and how many you have, you
will need to "address" finishing the raw edges. Seam the fabric by hand
so that the threads match up evenly. If you are doing any sort of
counted work you don't want to have trouble getting your stitching in
the right place; if you are doing some sort of surface embroidery, it's
not as critical. Sew the seam about 3/4" to 1" wide with the raw edges
on the back side of the stitching. Press the seam open within the
stitched area and, if necessary trim the seam allowances down to
whatever is comfortable to work with for you. In the areas where there
is no stitching leave the full seam allowance, making it easier to turn
under the raw edges.
In the unstitched areas, you can finish the raw edges in one of two
ways. The first is to turn under the raw edges on either side of the
seam, hand stitching it down with thread of the same color. The other
is to do a French seam where you press the seam allowance to one side,
trim the seam allowance that is next to the body of the fabric to about
half its width and then carefully turn under the top seam allowance to
cover the raw edges and hand stitch down. If you have the time, you
could work some sort of decorative vine type stitching over the seam in
the area that doesn't have the body of the stitching. To balance
things, if needed, you could also do this down the center of the sides
that don't have a seam and that way, the seams would be even less obtrusive.
I joined fabric -- years ago -- and it's near impossible to cover
the raw edges with decorative hand stitching. Those pesky edges always
seem to peak out, That's why I recommend having the raw edge on the
"back" side away from the decorative stitching AND turning the raw edge
under somehow. Stitching a chuppa is a huge undertaking and it is
something that will be used over and over again so you want it to stand
up to repeated use. PLEASE -- if possible post photos once you have the
piece finished. And let us know which way of joining the fabric worked
best for you. You never know when one of us will need to have that
knowledge :-). CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their whiskers!
Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

Tia Mary wrote:
......snipped.........
In the unstitched areas, you can finish the raw edges in one of two
ways. The first is to turn under the raw edges on either side of the
seam, hand stitching it down with thread of the same color. The other
is to do a French seam where you press the seam allowance to one side,
trim the seam allowance that is next to the body of the fabric to about
half its width and then carefully turn under the top seam allowance to
cover the raw edges and hand stitch down. ........snipped.......

MY BAD!!!! Thanks to Joyce in RSA, who brought this glaring mistake
to my attention! All I can say is I must have still been half asleep
when I wrote this. What I have described is NOT a French Seam which is
done when the fabric is sewn WRONG sides together in about a 1/4" seam,
and then folded in so the right sides are together and the final seam
is stitched along the original seam line. This encloses the raw edges
within the seam allowance which is left loose.
Joyce says what I describe is, to her, a specific type of fell seam
-- sorry I can't remember what her term was. I know what I have
described above is not what I learned as a flat fell seam where half the
seam allowance along the raw edges of both pieces of fabric is pressed
in, one to the front and one to the back. The two edges are then
"interlocked" (rather like folding your fingers of each hand into the
palm and then joining them together) and a row of stitching is done
along both of the fold lines. What I describe is a sort of felled seam
but I can't for the life of me remember what the proper name is for it
-- and MOI a PROfessional seamstress!!! The only thing that comes to
mind is a mock fell seam but I don't think that is correct.
I must be having a Senior Moment so if anyone can tell me the proper
name for this sort of "Joe McGee" flat fell seam, I would greatly
appreciate it :-)! CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their whiskers!
Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

It's also possible to back the seam with strong, fine tape. I believe
one can get linen tape from re-enactor's supply houses such as
http://www.wmboothdraper.com/ .

Tape can be used to strengthen and cover the raw edges of a
pressed-open seam, or it can be the seam: both edges sewn to the tape
in lap seams, touching.

For maximum strength, use a flat-felled seam -- but even when
pre-graded, that means three layers of cloth at the join.

(A pre-graded flat fell starts by turning one edgy to the right side,
then matching the other raw edge to it, right sides together, sewing
one seam allowance from the folded edge, then pressing both allowances
to the same side and hemming them down. The effect is like what you'd
get by turning one edge to the front and one to the back, then making
a lap seam with the raw edges inside.)

Joy Beeson
--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/ -- sewing
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